This invention relates to food processing machines, and in particular to relatively small machines for use domestically and otherwise.
Food processors of the general type relating to the present invention, generally comprise a main body portion, having a motor, and a base portion extending laterally from the lower part of the main body. A drive shaft extends upwardly from the base portion and a bowl sits on the base portion having locking members which engage in the main body portion. Unless correctly installed, and locked, the motor cannot be energized. The shaft extends up through the bowl inside a tubular member of the bowl. A first rotating member, which may be a cutter, drops over the drive shaft and engages with it, for rotation by the motor. The cutter normally has an inner tubular member which fits over the drive shaft and inside the tubular member of the bowl. A further outer tubular member on the cutter fits outside the tubular member of the bowl. A cutter has blades at the lower end of the outer tubular member, in the proximity of the bottom of the bowl.
A lid fits on top of the bowl in locking engagement therewith, and the cover also has locking members which must be engaged correctly with the main body portion, before power can be supplied.
For slicing or shredding material a disc cutter can be mounted at the upper part of the apparatus. In some instances an extension shaft is positioned on the upper end of the drive shaft for reception and driving of the disc cutter.
The lid normally has a feed tube in the top. A delivery chute can be supplied whereby sliced or grated material can be ejected from the machine for collection. This is obtained by a further disc having ribs on its upper surface, which is positioned just below the disc cutter. Alternatively, leaving out the further disc, sliced or shredded material can fall into the bowl.
Various disadvantages occur with present food processors. Alignment of the bowl to the main body can be difficult. Alignment of any further bowl, and the lid can present further problems, and interlocking of the various members of the apparatus can therefore be difficult. On occasion, alignment can appear to be in order, with interlocking, but no power to the motor is obtained. There is no indication that interlocking is not present, other than lack of power.
There is normally only one rotational position of the bowl relative to the main body. This is usually adapted to be convenient for right handed uses -i.e. a handle on the bowl is positioned so that it is to the right side when the bowl is correctly positioned on the base.
If an extension shaft is used, and an auxiliary bowl, then more parts must be stored.
Various other disadvantages occur with present processors.
The present invention provides a food processor having various features which provide improvements over previous processors. In the present invention easy alignment of the bowl with the main body, is easily obtained and this can be obtained for two alternative rotational positions of the bowl. A single drive shaft is provided with cutter engaging formations at the lower part which prevent lifting of the cutter when in operation. Further formations at the upper end of the shaft engage with a disc cutter, for slicing or shredding, and a displacement disc can be mounted on the shaft a short distance below the disc cutter for ejection of sliced or shredded material out of a delivery shoot at the side of the machine.
The lid forms a hollow chamber at the top, in which the disc cutter, and displacement disc, are positioned. The lid has a normal feed tube for feeding of material into the machine, and may include a discharge chute for discharge of sliced or shredded material, when the displacement disc is in position. A further small orifice can be provided for adding material, such as oils etc., in controlled amounts.
To assist in ensuring that correct positioning of the various parts occur, with the necessary final interlocking with the main body, an indicator light can be provided, which will indicate that all parts are correctly positioned.
A retractable information tab or panel member may be incorporated into the processor. In one embodiment, this panel or tab swings in and out and carries operating instructions or other information. Since a typical processor includes a drive unit having a housing for the motor, and the housing normally includes a base member for mounting a bowl, the retractable or displaceable tab or panel member can be incorporated into either the main housing beneath the motor or into the base member. The invention contemplates that the panel member can be mounted on the underside of either the base member or the motor housing, or into the body of either one of these. The panel member can be either pivotally mounted or may be arranged to slide on tracks. When not required it can be retracted back to its storage position.
In general terms, the food processor of the present invention has a body housing and a base member extending laterally at the base of the body housing, with a bowl positioned on the base member. Locking formations on the cooperating surfaces of the base member and the bowl act to provide orientation of the bowl on the base member. The hollow lid fits on an upper rim of the bowl, with frictionally interengaging formations for interlocking the lid and the bowl. A drive shaft extending up from the base member through the bowl has lower frictionally interengaging surfaces at a lower part of the shaft and upper frictionally interengaging surfaces at an upper part of the shaft. The upper part of the shaft extends into the hollow lid. A lower cutter is positionable on the drive shaft on the lower interengaging surfaces and a disc cutter is positionable on the upper part of the drive shaft in engagement with the upper interengaging surfaces. The lid has a feed tube and also at one side a delivery chute. Interengaging locking formations are provided on the bowl, the lid and the body member for providing a mechanical locking of bowl and the lid to the body member. When the parts are locked together and when a part of the bowl/lid assembly engages the interlock assembly this will permit supply of power to a drive motor.
One feature of one embodiment of the invention is cooperating or locking formations on the base member and the bowl which are positioned to permit two alternative rotational orientations of the bowl, relative to the base member.
Yet a further feature in another embodiment, there is provided a tab or panel member pivotally mounted in the bottom of the base member, the tab or panel member being retractable into the base member.
In a further feature of the invention, a signal device or indicator light is positioned in a top surface of the body member, for indicating correct locking of the bowl to the base member and the lid to the bowl.
In still a further feature of certain embodiments of the invention, is the provision of a power cord that extends from the base of the body member and is retractable into the base of the body member.
In yet another feature of the invention, the lower interengaging surfaces on the lower part of the drive shaft form a helix such that when the food processor is being used there is a tendency to urge the lower cutter in a downward direction.
Having regard to the above, according to one embodiment of the invention, there is provided a food processor, comprising a drive unit comprising a housing including a base member and a motor housing on the base member, the base member extending laterally of the motor housing for mounting a bowl, a bowl positioned on the base member, orientation indicators on the base member and on the bowl to provide orientation of the bowl on the base member, a closure lid fitting on the bowl, the lid having a feed tube, a drive shaft extending upwardly from the base member through the bowl and into engagement with the closure lid, the drive shaft having lower cooperating engaging surfaces at a lower part thereof and upper cooperating engaging surfaces at an upper part thereof, a lower cutter positioned over the drive shaft, the cutter having a hollow drive shaft and cooperating engaging surfaces on the interior of the hollow drive shaft at a lower end for driving engagement with the lower cooperation engaging surfaces of the drive shaft, a disc cutter for positioning on the upper part of the drive shaft, the disc cutter having cooperating engaging surfaces for engaging the upper cooperating engaging surfaces of the drive shaft, first cooperating engaging formations on the lid and an upper section of the bowl for releasably locking the lid to the bowl, and second cooperating engaging formations on a lower section of the bowl and the base member for releasably engaging the bowl and the base member, and interlock means responsive to the engagement of the bowl and the lid to permit supply of power to a drive motor for the processor.
Desirably in the above embodiment the interlock means is responsive to the locking of the bowl on the base member and the bowl and the lid.
Still further, in an optional preferred embodiment the processor includes orientation indicators on the lid and bowl to provide orientation of the lid on the bowl. The processor may have a bowl which includes a handle, the handle including the orientation indicators to provide orientation of the bowl on the base member and the lid on the bowl.
One embodiment also includes the use of a processor in which the aforementioned engaging formations on the base member and the lower section of the bowl are positioned to permit two alternative rotational orientations of the bowl relative to the base member. In another embodiment, the bowl must be in but one position.
A particularly preferred structure of the food processor of the type described above is where the drive shaft comprises a one-piece shaft, the shaft separately mounting in a spaced-apart manner both the lower cutter and the disc cutter.
Still further, the above processor may be used in combination with a panel member pivotally associated with the base member, the panel member being retractably mounted in association with the base member. The panel member may be employed for presenting indicia such as operating or care and use instructions or the like when displaced from the processor.
In other embodiments, the above type of processor may also include a signal indicator for indicating correct engagement or locking of the bowl and the lid. In one form, the signal indicator may be a light mounted in the processor. The light may have appropriate circuitry connected to the power source and to the interlock feature of the present invention. In place of a light, other suitable indicators such as visual indicators can be employed. In preferred forms, the signal or light indicator is preferably mounted with the controls for the food processor. Generally speaking, these are normally located at the top of the motor housing and typically, the motor controls may include multi-speed switches or an infinitely variable switch to control the speed of the motor. Further, an ON-OFF master switch may be utilized, as well as a xe2x80x9cpulsexe2x80x9d switch which is adapted to provide short bursts of power for food processing purposes. Ideally, the light indicator is positioned in the line of sight of the user with the controls described herein.
The food processor may also include other conventional elements such as a discharge chute, which functions to permit processed food to be removed from the bowl. The discharge chute can be any suitable opening extending from the lid or bowl and functions in most cases as a continuous feed chute for processed material. In addition, the discharge or continuous feed chute can function in conjunction with a gate, which can be removable to permit access to the chute. Still further, other components such as a displacement disc can be included which can be mounted between the disc cutter and the lower cutter, for expulsion of processed material through the delivery chute. Another embodiment is where the processor could include a retractable power cord.
A particularly preferred embodiment is where the drive shaft has engagement means to engage a hollow interior of the lower cutter and to this end, cooperating helixes, preferably of an off-set nature, can be utilized. One or more spirals may form the helix. It will be appreciated that other cooperating mating or engaging systems can be employed instead of the helix arrangement.
In a still further embodiment of the invention, there is also provided a food processor having a drive unit which is normally mounted in a motor housing or body member, and in which the motor housing is mounted on a base member, which extends laterally from the motor housing, said base member mounting a bowl, a closure lid for the bowl, the lid having a feed tube; a drive shaft extending upwardly from the base member; a cutter positioned on the drive shaft, the lid and the bowl being releasably engageable together, the bowl and the base member being releasably engageable together, and wherein the processor includes an interlock responsive to the engagement of the bowl to the base member and the lid to the bowl to permit supply of power to a drive motor for the processor, in which the invention provides the improvement wherein the processor includes a signal indicator for indicating correct engagement of the lid with the bowl.
In another embodiment, there is also provided a food processor having a drive unit which includes a housing having a base member and a motor housing on the base member, the base member mounting a bowl, a closure lid for the bowl, the lid having a feed tube; a drive shaft extending upwardly from the base member; a cutter positioned on the drive shaft, the lid and the bowl being releasably engageable together, the bowl and the base member being releasably engageable, and wherein the processor includes interlock means responsive to the engagement of the bowl and the lid to the base member to permit supply of power to a drive motor for the processor, in which the invention provides the improvement wherein the processor includes a light indicator for indicating correct alignment of the lid with the bowl, and the bowl with the base member.
In the above embodiment, the light indicator may be positioned in different places on the processor. A most convenient place is at the location where the controls for the processor are mountedxe2x80x94i.e. where the processor has a control panel containing the switches for motor speed, etc. In most cases, the processor will have the control panel at or on the top of the motor housing, and desirably the light indicator will be centrally mounted and readily visible in the control panel. Typically, the light indicator will be a small light source, such as a neon bulb, covered by a lens and powered by the power source for the processor in conjunction with the interlock.
In the above described preceding embodiments, the food processor may include a pivotally mounted panel member, the panel member being retractable relative to the base member for storage of the base member.
In a still further aspect of the present invention, there is further provided another form of a food processor having a drive unit having a housing including a base member and a motor housing, the base member extending laterally and mounting a bowl, a closure lid for the bowl, the lid having a feed tube; a drive shaft extending upwardly from the base member; a cutter positioned on the drive shaft, the lid and the bowl being releasably engageable together, and the bowl being releasably engageable with the base member, in which the invention provides the improvement wherein the processor includes a retractable panel, the panel being pivotally mounted for extension and retraction relative to the body.
In a still further embodiment of another form of the invention, there is provided a food processor having a drive unit having a housing including a base member and a motor housing, the base member extending laterally and mounting a bowl, a closure lid for the bowl, the lid having a feed tube, a drive shaft extending upwardly from the base member; a lower cutter and a reversible slicer/shredder disc positioned on the drive shaft, the lid and the bowl being releasably engageable, in which the invention relates to the improvement wherein the processor includes a one piece drive shaft extending upwardly from the base member, the drive shaft having two spaced-apart mounts for mounting and storing the lower cutter and the shredder in the bowl. In addition, for use with lids having a continuous feed chute, the drive shaft has a third mount intermediate the two mounts mentioned above for mounting and storing a continuous feed or displacement disc.
In all of the above embodiments, a conventional motor can be employed with a typical drive system to rotate the drive shaft at high speeds, as again is conventional and well known in the art. The drive system can either be a gear arrangement or a belt system.